Electric Literature Seeks Editorial Intern for Fall 2017

The deadline for Applications has been extended to September 8!

Electric Literature internships introduce undergraduate and graduate students, emerging writers, and aspiring publishing professionals to digital publishing and the New York literary scene. Because we are a small, not-for-profit publisher, we provide unique opportunities for professional development and resume-building.

As an Electric Literature intern, you are encouraged to become involved in any aspect of our work that interests you. You’ll sort mail and go to the post office, but you’ll also do things like contribute to editorial decisions, write for the site, and attend cool literary events.

Responsibilities:

• Comb the web and social media for breaking literary news
• Write daily news items for electricliterature.com
• Staff events (including our table at the Brooklyn Book Festival on September 17)
• Select images to pair with articles
• Format, copy edit, and draft articles
• Update contact databases
• Fulfill online merchandise sales
• Transcribe interviews
• Write and schedule social media posts
• Perform other administrative tasks
• Open mail and catalogue books

Skills:

• Personal experience using Medium, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram — professional experience is a plus
• Excellent writing skills and a unique point of view
• Basic understanding of Photoshop and inDesign
• Firm grasp of grammar and spelling
• Organized and fastidious

The ideal candidate:

• Has an educational background in journalism, literature, or creative writing
• Has prior internship or entry-level job experience at another publishing, media, or non-profit organization
• Participates in the contemporary literary scene
• Regularly reads literary magazines and literary websites (including but not limited to Recommended Reading and electricliterature.com)
• Believes strongly in the Electric Literature mission: To expand the influence of literature in popular culture by fostering lively and innovative literary conversations and making exceptional writing accessible to new audiences
• Is hard-working, pays great attention to detail, and can work independently
• Writes clearly and with personality
• Has an eye for design and knows what images will grab reader’s attention

This is a part time internship (10–20 hours/week). There is no stipend, but interns will be paid for pieces they contribute the site. Candidates must be able to come to our office in Downtown Brooklyn at least 2 days/week. We are happy to work with universities and MFA programs to provide course credit, though you do not need to be a student to apply. This four-month internship runs from September 5 through December 22 (exact dates are flexible, and there may be an opportunity to extend the internship into 2018).

To apply, please send a the following to editors@electricliterature.com with the subject “INTERNSHIP APPLICATION: Your Name” by midnight on Friday, September 8, 2017.

1. A cover letter and resume
2. A sample Scuttlebutt post, along the lines of “Readers are Superior Lovers” or “Steve Bannon’s Touchstone Book is a Xenophobic, Racist French Novel.” Choose a news story you think will be relevant and interesting to Electric Literature readers.
3. Complete the social media test below. (Copy and paste into a new document.)

Electric Literature Social Media Test

1. Create a shareable image for this quote: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin
2. Electric Literature just announced the Bodega Project, with the support of the New York City Department of Public Affairs. Write a tweet sharing the news and linking to a source with more information.
3. Create a Facebook post about this article: “11 Fictional Restaurants We Wish Existed.”
4. Write a Facebook post and a Tweet about this article: “Literature Needs Angry Female Heroes.”
5. Write a tweet and a Facebook post encouraging readers to become members of Electric Literature.
6. Create an Instagram post and a tweet promoting Papercuts: A Party Game for the Rude and Well-Read.
7. Write a link roundup of 5 articles not published on Electric Literature, with at least one sentence about each.